Formula 1 stars celebrate Mother’s Day with a #HomeAdvantage charity campaign
Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Alex Albon have all opened up about the influence their mothers have had in their lives ahead of a charity campaign with #HomeAdvantage; The charity works to get children out of orphanages and into ‘loving homes’
Last update: 3/23/18 7:56 PM
Lewis Hamilton and his biological mother, Carmel L’Arbalester, were found guilty of teaching him how to ’empathize, warm and have compassion’.
To celebrate Mother’s Day and launch the #HomeAdvantage charity campaign, four British F1 stars have revealed to Sky Sports F1 how their mums have pushed them to succeed.
Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell and Alex Albon have all shared emotional stories about the love and support of their mums in exclusive interviews with Sky Sports.
Sky Sports F1 is supporting the launch of the #HomeAdvantage campaign, in aid of the global charity Hope and homes for children.
Just like children, sports stars fulfill their potential and do better when people cheer for them, in familiar environments, that is, when they have a #HomeAdvantage.
Sadly, the 5.4 million children locked up in orphanages around the world today are deprived of this. When held alone, they routinely suffer needless violence, abuse, and neglect, as 80 percent of them have living parents who can care for them at home.
Powered by Sky Sports, YouTube and eBay, and featuring international sports stars sharing stories of the support their families gave them when they were children, #HomeAdvantage will attempt to create history for orphanages.
Hamilton opened up about the impact both his biological mother and stepmother had on his life.
“I have two mothers,” Hamilton said. “My biological mother. She is the one who taught me empathy, warmth, and compassion for others in the world.”
Lewis Hamilton is grateful to his wife Linda Hamilton for being there with him ‘all the way’
“I was fortunate enough to have a second mother, my stepmother Linda. I am so grateful to have had them both with me all the way.”
Norris added, “My mum’s role has been so important in my life. She was as supportive as a mother was to allow her son to move forward in trying to achieve their goal. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Almost 70 per cent of people in the UK (a major source of funding for orphanages abroad) believe orphanages protect children, when 100 years of scientific research shows they harm them.
Since 1994, Hope and Homes for Children has inspired many governments, the United Nations, the European Union and the Commonwealth to close the doors of orphanages forever. The charity fights for children to grow up in families, by reuniting children with relatives. When that is not possible, he trains social workers to find families to foster or adopt.
Today, countries like Rwanda, Bulgaria, and Romania are on the brink of becoming free of orphanages. #HomeAdvantage aims to help them finish the job, while also watching scenes from the rest of the world.
Pinkham on the importance of Hope and Nursing homes for children:
Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham believes there is huge strength to the Home Advantage and that “kids thrive in families”.
As a patron of Hope and Homes for Children, she said: “Decades of evidence prove how important home and family are to a child.
For every three months a child spends in an orphanage, they can lose one month of development compared to a child in the family.
“Deprived of the opportunity to grow up in a family, they are 23 percent more likely to be homeless later in life, and 50 percent more likely to be homeless with the law.
“No child shall be confined to an orphanage, deprived of the love of family and the benefits of home.”
1996 F1 World Champion and Sky Sports analyst Damon Hill is also #HomeAdvantage Champion.
“When my father passed away, I realized that the advantages of a home are something we can all take for granted — how my mother had to struggle to keep the family afloat,” Hill said.
“And as a father, family is the most important thing. No child should be in an orphanage when they can be found in a loving home.”
To pledge your support and give children in orphanages a home advantage, visit www.homeadvantage.org.uk Follow @hopeandhomes on Twitter and @omeandhomesforchildren on Instagram #HomeAdvantage.
